Writers On Strike: Lessons From WGA For Book Authors with Derek Santos Olson

The Manuscript Academy

The more we hear about the Writer’s Guild of America West, the more we wonder why book authors don’t have something similar. Did you know that members of The Writer’s Guild of America receive health insurance (good health insurance!), among many other benefits—all for 1.5% of the member’s yearly profits? Plus, there’s education on the (complicated!) issues, the proposed Anti-AI clause, and an infrastructure to keep writers healthy and happy and writing their best work. We also talk about the magic synergy of the writer’s room, fun stories from behind the scenes, and how to prepare for your first writing job in Hollywood. Derek Santos Olson is a screenwriter who has worked in both film and TV. He wrote on the final two seasons of NBC/DirecTV’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and was nominated for WGA Awards for both seasons. His other TV credits include ABC’s THE UNUSUALS and CBS’ HAWAII FIVE-O. In film, he has sold original pitches and has done rewrite assignments in a variety of genres. He attended Yale University and has enjoyed teaching or tutoring in one capacity or another since shortly after his graduation.